Designer Files: design trends to watch this season

As we jump into a new year, there is always an abundance of ‘shop talk’ within the design community about what the hot trends will be for the seasons ahead. While some key elements have a strong shift, others remain the same and carry forward with a new importance in décor. By taking trends or styles that are currently within our homes and bringing them into a fresh year, we are able to achieve a more eclectic feel that offers stronger visual interest than swapping out everything for a new look. I had a number of favourite design trends from this past year, some of which I’m stoked to see transition into 2015 and get a new spin. There was a lot of diversity within 2014 décor styles, which makes it fun to reinterpret popular ideas for a fresh take. From colour to hard finishes to textiles, 2015design looks like it’s set to offer a beautiful amalgamation of styles that we have already seen and loved. Here are a few that I can’t wait to see stick around in a big way:

Mixed metals

It began with the introduction of gold a few style seasons ago, replacing the monopoly chrome had on décor; then we saw copper elements surface and take over for a short stint. This created décor dilemmas, however, as people weren’t sure how to introduce the new metals without replacing all their previous finishes. Thus, the trio of metallics joined forces and created one of the strongest trends to come out of décor in a few years: mixing metals together to catch an ultra-glam appeal. This has allowed designers and décor fiends alike to choose metallics in a carefree fashion, blending them together to create unique looks.

Industrial elements within modernity

The industrial look was huge for 2012, with every- and anything rustic taking storm over décor; the following year nearly abandoned the trend, but it started to creep back in for 2014 in a more subtle way. As we look ahead how to use industrial elements for this year, we are seeing the heavy details of re-purposed and found items being used sparingly and paired with softer, modern spaces to gain balance within a room. Rather than everything having raw edges or rough finishes, we see one or two feature industrial pieces standing out within a simplistic space for an overall organic feel.

Masculine and feminine harmony

It’s an age old décor battle: the ultimate bachelor pad approach vs. the super femme touch. I often play mediator for clients that can’t find a way to agree on the design of their space – it tends to be that men prefer less fuss, more neutral colours and supreme comfort and functionality, while their female counterparts place emphasis on layering, tonality and more intricate details. Last year, however, we saw a compromise – an introduction of a style juxtaposition between the masculine and feminine elements, hard edges mixed with soft finishes to create an unexpected (yet beautiful) effect. This will stay strong for 2015, offering further exploration into the marriage of male and female design tendencies.

Ethnic influence

Human nature often encourages us to look outside our own cultural norms for creative inspiration; we saw 2013 and 2014 décor explore Central Asian (Ikat, anyone?), Egyptian, Native American (most commonly Navajo) and Moroccan style. A global outlook on design stimulation is carrying us forward into the new year, although we are seeking a hyper-local approach to receiving it. I’m looking forward to the discovery of new cultural influence for the year ahead.

Bright whites

For me, nothing creates a dream space faster than a fresh canvas to work within – gallery white walls combined with hard finishes, cabinetry and flooring that mimic are the key elements to my favourite designs. The benefits of using crisp white details are plentiful – the illusion of more space, increased light reflection and a a perceived openness even to the most tucked away nook. I look forward to fresh white details being incorporated into different design elements for 2015, and encourage the idea of mixing whites within applications and finishes – matte with gloss, white counters with white cabinets, and a variety of décor bits in a range of whites to finish off a space.